Parents of children with special needs often want to direct required distributions from IRAs following their deaths into a special needs trust (SNT) for the child. But if the trust is not set up properly, the income tax consequences...

The nation's elderly and disabled Social Security recipients will receive a 1.7 percent increase in payments in 2013. The increase is less than half of last year's 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA).

While creating a financial plan and establishing a specialized trust are central to preparing for your child's future, planners also advise families to write down their intentions and expectations in a special document.

In certain circumstances the Social Security Administration will fast-track a disability benefits application through a process known as Compassionate Allowances, usually because the applicant is suffering from a severe disability that may be life-threatening.

Individuals with special needs who file a federal income tax return, even if they are not required to do so, may qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit, a special credit that has existed for the last 36 years to...